I went to the movies today and saw Spider Man 2. Whee! It was a fun movie, filled with fun things. It worked, I think, because (like the first one) it was unabashadly a four-color comic book movie. They didn't try to make Spider Man hip or trendy, they didn't give him claws or guns or put him in leather or any of the hundreds of things they could have done. They just left him as your friendly neighborhood Spider Man, and it worked.
Which is interesting, seeing as I've never really liked Spider Man. I mean I've got to be honest here: the red-and-blue costume and tendency to leave sticky gobs of organic white stuff behind him never really did much for me. Sure, he's got the "with great power comes great responsibility" shtick, but I never really thought Spider Man's powers were all that great. Certainly less so than some other hero I could mention, a hero who also wears read and blue and has his own movie franchise. I mean yes, if I had the ability to perform multiple aerial back-flips and fold myself in half on demand I, too, would most likely put on a costume and use these skills to fight crime. Because that would be cool. But I wouldn't feel the need to be all preachy about it. Plus Spider Man has some of the lamest villians of all time. About the only thing he ever had going for him was the witty banter. Which they kept in this movie, so that just goes to show you that Sam Raimi knows what he's doing.
In other hero-related news, I've actually broken down and bought a copy of the Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game City of Heroes. It's a game that's all about designing and playing your own super hero. Sometimes in a team of super heroes. This is, let's face it, a childhood dream come true. Erik and Ogre have been playing the game for the better part of three weeks and I'd managed to hold off for a while as I caught glimpses of them playing, but there are some things that are just built too deeply into the wiring. Now, as a game it's incredible. It captures, almost perfectly, what you'd expect a game about comic book heroes would capture. It's only flaws are that most of the good names are already taken and there are, as yet, no capes. As a distraction and time-waster the game is very much its own level of hell. I'm going to get back to work soon. Really I will...
Comments (8)
Even ~I~ liked Spiderman 2, and I don't generally like comic book movies at all. The things I have to expose myself to because I have kids! LOL
Posted by Meg | July 5, 2004 10:30 AM
Posted on July 5, 2004 10:30
Alas another one has fallen i remember i used to spend quite some time in the old chats and this games seem much more adictive....
which is one of the reasons i have never played the sims nor joined any of those games even tough i have to say that world of warcraft seems very .... very tempting.
Posted by gus | July 6, 2004 11:48 AM
Posted on July 6, 2004 11:48
Have to? Meg, I was thrilled to be able to take one of those kids of yours to see Harry Potter. Even if he did drag me out of the theater when the big spider was on the screen.
Gus - spot on with World of Warcraft, though I've more and more found that I'm "over" swords & sorcery these days. Dunno why. Super heroes, though, that shit never gets old. Especially given the crazy-ass character generator City of Heroes has. Last night I made The Cosmonaut! And I still managed to get some work done this weekend, too, so go me!
Posted by Jason | July 6, 2004 2:40 PM
Posted on July 6, 2004 14:40
Jason I went to that big book of ratings site and it scared the piss out of me... where do you find these sort of things? I mean rating the five little piggies? come on. As far as the movie goes I am yet to see it as I just got back from my red necked weekend.... Blowing stuff up with impunity and riding around in the back of a pick up truck on farm roads with a cold beer... if that isnt american I will .... Try harder next year???
Any way as far as the movie goes I hope to maybe go see arthur this week so who knows when Spidey will make it into my que.
Posted by Zach | July 6, 2004 4:47 PM
Posted on July 6, 2004 16:47
Don't get me wrong - I love taking the kids to the theater! I just really expected Spiderman to suck. I loved watching their reaction to Shrek 2, and seeing them get up and dance with Scooby Doo 2... I even ~liked~ taking them to see Spiderman - for the sake of their reaction. I just didn't expect to like the movie myself.
Posted by Meg | July 7, 2004 11:35 AM
Posted on July 7, 2004 11:35
Spam alert. Do not click on that link.
Posted by Erik (the roommate) | July 13, 2004 10:23 AM
Posted on July 13, 2004 10:23
I guess the summer has you since you havent posted in a while :)
Posted by gus | July 16, 2004 11:05 AM
Posted on July 16, 2004 11:05
Jesus. I go away for a few days and the spammers crawl up from the mud. Thanks for the alert, Erik. The posts are both deleted and the IP is banned, now.
Summer, Gus? Maybe. Read on, above.
Posted by Jason | July 16, 2004 1:03 PM
Posted on July 16, 2004 13:03